Yesterday, being Christmas Eve, I had to ask myself that very question. The stud question did not come about until after the event, however I did think of the mad man question as I was driving to go pheasant hunting.

Anyways, it was nearly 3pm and we had 17 family and friends coming over for dinner at 4:30-5. The day before I started on this machine (the computer) at 6am til 11am, butchered, spent little time with family and then got back on until 2am. This was the second 2am work nights I had this week.

Tuesday was one of the last 2 pheasant stocking days of the year. However it rained and poured as it did Wednesday and now Thursday morning. Thursday around 2pm the sun was trying to break free. At 2:45ish standing outside with, mind you 70 degree weather, the dogs "Told Me that I Promised."

I thought back to ten or so years ago when I fell and slipped on ice getting into the old 1982 F150 with Gavin, my former cocker spaniel, as we were going pheasant hunting. I had to call my wife on my cell phone from the driveway. I told her I badly broke my ankle and swore I'd never walk again. Still bothersome to the day but healed. And now I had 70 degree weather.

At 2:50ish and I went in real quick to tell the wife, spent ten minutes finding shells, license, dog vests, adjustment on one vest, fat boy Levi (it is Christmas season after all and he eats well too), and then tell my wife that we're "not" going right down the road, we're traveling 20-25 minutes to Clinton WMA.

Oh, boy. "Yeah know the dogs come home muddy from all the rain, I cleaned the house all morning, etc." but really she knew we were going. Did I mention my wife is the best. A guy goes bowhunting on his honeymoon, you know you found something good.

Anyway again. Upon getting there the very first field 5 minutes in our 1st field I see a cock bird. It 75 yards, squats low to hide but then starts running. Now 150 yards on a full run it darts into the taller grasses of the field. I call my dogs in and wait 5 minutes to let the bird calm down. We then lightly jog down 75 yards to where I 1st saw the bird and then Lilly's nose hit the fresh trail. Lilly on a full run, and now fat boy Levi and are too. She over ran the turn but then did get right in the middle of the tall grass and starts running again. I thought no, as she was a little confused and over excited. I called her back.

Both dogs circling to pick up the scent, Lilly goes back to where she was and starts on her full dash again. I run but she's going and I'm calling. And she's going. Five-Mile Lilly kicks up the cock bird and at 70 yards. I fired off one hoping shot. Remember, I only have a 30 min hunt. The second shot well I just donated.

I called her in and the rest of the day she was so sorry as she knew her mistake. I rode her hard to stay close for the first ten minutes and then there after she stayed close. No more birds though, we were lucky to see that one. It was 2 day since stocking, only 180 birds released, hawks and predators strive and only 30 minutes to hunt.

Wife knew I was going as soon as I said the dog's and I are going pheasant hunting. 9 year old Tristan, well he had family kids coming over soon, that out-ranks Pop and pheasant hunting. The dogs saw "deer" orange for weeks, saw the good ol' Mossberg and had bells on their necks since November. They only hunted 2.5 times previously this year. Did I mention it was 70 degrees on Christmas eve? I knew we were to hunt solo, for every car I passed, they were all on their way to families houses for dinners. Me and my dogs, well, we had orange on.

The Stud, you ask? I have had this shirt, one of my top 15 favorites for 12+ years now. Really it is a work shirt now but I still baby it. Yup, the t-shirt under my light sweat shirt, it read "Stud".

Maybe some would say mad-man going pheasant hunting less than an hour and a half before a big 17 person, family Christmas eve meal, but I would say just do it?

Work hard, play hard. You live once, get out there and do it.

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Last edited by k-villa on Sat Jan 02, 2016 2:28 pm, edited 8 times in total.